This invention relates generally to computer-aided learning methods and apparatus, and more particularly to inexpensive computer-aided learning methods and apparatus for learners.
We are living in the midst of tremendous technological changes. In the workplace, technology is replacing numerous workers. Many of our job skills might become obsolete within years. Though technology is permeating gradually into every stratum of the society, it is very hard to keep up with so much changes.
Not only is it hard to keep up, technology has made the world much smaller, and global competition much more intense. Not only facing global competition, we are also challenged by the younger generation. Many of them have access to computers and the Web at a very young age. They might be much more effective and efficient than the older generation in performing computer-oriented jobs.
Drastic and rapid changes in the economy lead to massive re-deployment of the labor force. Due to technology revolutions in the industrial nations, and social upheaval in many third-world countries, every year, thousands of job titles with their job functions are being eliminated. Numerous industries experience massive layoffs, which are usually more geared towards the older and higher-paid employees. This problem is exacerbated by the aging of the population when employers tend to retain the younger work force, with more current education. Many employees are in transition. They need jobs. Such global challenges are not limited to the private industries. Millions of civil service employees and military personnel have to be re-trained.
Employees have to learn. However, employees may not have time to learn. Computer-aided learning alleviates some of the problem because learning from a computer at least allows users to learn at their own pace and, to a certain degree, in a location more convenient to them. But, computer-aided learning is a new medium of learning, not accustomed to by many. To ask them to pay a high tuition to learn through a new medium is unreasonable. Moreover, many may not be accustomed to learn while working. They assume that they have finished with all of their learning at schools. Also, for the numerous employees-in-transition, they may not be interested to pay to learn at all.
From the employers"" perspective, they need to stay competitive. Employers have to produce good products and services at reasonable prices. With competition from so many directions, employers have to constantly re-train their employees and recruit new ones. It is also not uncommon for employers to lay off some of them.
Is It is a constant challenge for employers to decide whom to hire. Just as employees need to learn about new job skills, employers need to learn about the strengths, weaknesses and preferences of their employees or potential employees.
It should be apparent that there is a need to automatically provide appropriate learning materials in an inexpensive and easily accessible manner to employees, while providing information about potential employees to employers.
The present invention provides computer-aided learning methods and apparatus that encourage employees to learn appropriate learning materials by providing them in an inexpensive and easily accessible manner, while allow employers to access information on potential employees.
A computer-aided learning system can provide users with learning materials in an easily accessible manner, significantly increasing their freedom to choose when and where to learn. The learning materials can also be quickly updated. In view of the drastic technological and societal changes, it is imperative that learning materials have to constantly keep pace with the changes.
On the other hand, learning through a computer has at least one major challenge. It is a relatively new approach to learning. Since many assume that they have done with all of their learning at schools, and are skeptical to anything that is not traditional, they are not interested in paying a lot of money to learn from a computer.
Though many do not want to pay a lot to learn from computers, computer-aided learning materials are not cheap to produce. It is difficult to prepare good computer-aided learning materials that not only can capture our attention, but also teach effectively. Companies that have invested heavily in producing these materials are not about to sell them inexpensively. They need to recoup their investment.
Drastic technological and society changes require companies to transform themselves to stay competitive. They need to find people to do new jobs. Hiring the right employee is a critical success factor for many employers. Many companies are willing to pay at least 20% of the first annual income of their new hires to recruiters because recruiters save them time in finding and pre-screening candidates. Also, good recruiters know their candidates, and are able to provide companies with valuable information on them. Typically, companies have a better chance of making the right hiring decision if they have more information on a candidate.
New computer-aided learning systems and methods can provide a lot of learning information regarding a user, as taught in a number of issued patents, such as Learning System And Method Based on Review, U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,208; Methods and Apparatus To Assess And Enhance A Student""s Understanding In A Subject, U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,486; Relationship-Based Computer-Aided Educational System, U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,951; Reward Enriched Learning System And Method, U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,746; and Learning Method And System Based on Questioning, U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,771.
Information on users"" learning activities is very useful for employers because they provide indication on many factors, including what the users know and their preferences. Many companies are willing to pay for such information.
In view of the above observations and insights, the invented methods and apparatus provide inexpensive computer-aided learning materials to users to work on. Such users can be known as learning users. Though the materials can be of high quality and can be specifically tailored to the needs of the users, the learning users do not have to pay much to learn from the materials. The costs of the learning materials and the services providing them are predominantly paid for by employers or institute users.
In return, the present invention allows institute users to access information regarding the learning users. The information can help institute users recruit the right people for their job openings, such as based on information from the learning activities of potential employees.
In one embodiment, there are at least two types of users: Learning users and institute users. An institute user can be a representative from a company, or can be a software agent from the company. An apparatus is configured to retrieve a user identifier entered by a user, and determine the type of user based on the identifier.
If the user is a learning user, the apparatus allows the user to access information regarding learning materials. The apparatus can track the user""s learning activities and update the user""s profile accordingly.
If the user is an institute user, the apparatus allows the user to access information regarding at least one learning user. As the institute user is querying information, the apparatus can track the institute user""s activities and keep a log of its use. If the institute user is interested in recruiting, the apparatus may automatically perform the best match between attributes of the potential candidate for the job and attributes of the users in its database. In yet another embodiment, the institute user may also use the present invention to conduct in-house training for its employees.
To encourage learning users to learn, they do not have to pay much to learn. If possible, money should not be a factor that deters users to learn from the apparatus. On the other hand, institute users have to pay significantly more than the learning users to access information from the apparatus. In one embodiment, it is free for the learning users to access information regarding learning materials, but institute users have to pay to access information regarding learning users from the apparatus.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrates by way of example the principles of the invention.